


One Safe Place

by EllOnWheels



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Rhodey, Slash if you squint, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, oh my babies what the hell happened?!, with slash goggles on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-05-10
Packaged: 2018-06-07 14:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6809122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllOnWheels/pseuds/EllOnWheels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One-shot where Tony and Rhodey make one another's night a little easier to bear post Captain America: Civil War. Pre-slash or slash if you squint. Or hetero life-mates. You choose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Safe Place

**Author's Note:**

> Story contains Captain America: Civil War spoilers. I have only viewed the movie once so far... So here's hoping I got the details correct. And UGH. UGGGGGGHHHH... The hell... Ugh... Still... I liked it better than I liked the comic event, so that is saying something...
> 
> ...And goddammit, Steve, you get your butt back here right now and clean up the damn mess you made...
> 
> Please no Tony hate. I am sick of people (fans and other characters in the MCU alike) not acknowledging that Tony is probably quietly losing his mind to PTSD, and not only not helping, but actively being angry at him for it.
> 
> Surprisingly, the notes are probably the most angsty thing about this.

It was quiet inside the Avengers facility, as it always was this time of night. And as was usual, Tony was once again staring at the ceiling, wide-awake. It was the kind of wakefulness that sleeping pills wouldn't really touch, and instead only serve to make him groggy and angry the next morning. He didn't sleep much these days. There was so much to do. He was still trying to sort out the mess that Steve's devotion to Bucky had left them in. Many of the Avengers had scattered, though Vision had remained, and brought Wanda back with him. Parker was safely in Queens for now, but with constant access to Tony if he needed help.

Wanda had been surprisingly easy to forgive given how he had tried to restrict her movements, and especially after how she had wept at seeing Rhodey for the first time since the fight at the airport. Vision had finally let go and done the same, holding her close to him. Rhodey was still sedated, and thankfully missed their pity party, but the sight of both of those ethereal beings weeping had let Tony know that he wasn't alone in how deeply everyone had been wounded.

He made a mental note to make an appointment with his trauma therapist again. His thoughts wouldn't quiet and definitely wouldn't let what happened between him and Steve go. He'd become a regular patient with the therapist. Pepper might have even been proud of him if he still wasn't too proud to tell her how fucked up he was. God he was fucked up. Everything was fucked up. Ultron was a walk in the park compared to what had gone down. He was exhausted and numb most of the time, and at a complete loss for what to do next. Clint had been right... Some futurist he was.

Tony scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. He then heard the almost silent pneumatics of Rhodey's braces as he walked across the hall. Tony always left his door ajar so he could hear if Rhodey needed his help through the night. Commonplace bathroom issues being the main concern in the early days, and Tony refused to call a nurse when he was so nearby.

Rhodey placed two light taps on Tony's door, so light that Tony might not have heard them had he been sleeping. "Yeah honey bear?" Tony asked softly.

Rhodey pushed the door open, and stood still for a moment in the muted light of the hall. Every movement had to be thought out and measured now. There was no casual, laconic stance he could take. At least not yet. Rhodey was adapting so well to the braces, but Tony knew they needed to be better before Rhodey could gain that freedom back for himself.

"I can hear you thinking from across the hallway," Rhodey announced. Tony sat up and laughed in the way he tended to do when he was terrified or exhausted.

"Sorry, been trying to work on a system wide shut down, but it's just not taking," Tony said. He didn't try to get up to help Rhodey as he made his way tentatively over to the bed. The braces were over a pair of jogging pants and an ancient M.I.T. t-shirt. Tony had learned that he could only offer help, and not to force his help on Rhodey. Rhodey was learning to ask for it too, so things were improving in that regard.

"I saw it building in you all day," Rhodey observed.

"I'm sorry, I'll call my therapist in the morning. I-" Rhodey reached out and placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, partly to calm him, and partly to keep his balance as he sat down on the edge of the bed. He was getting good at these subtle gestures of stability, in order to keep his body moving as he wanted it to. "I'm trying, Rhodey," Tony whispered.

"I know, Tony. And you're actually doing pretty great... We both knew there would be setbacks after what happened. There are going to be more in the future. It's never really going to go away... And that sucks. But we can deal with it together... I probably wouldn't still be here if it weren't for your enthusiasm and determination, Tony, but that doesn't mean it's a one-way street. I can help support you too," Rhodey said softly. His hand was still resting on Tony's shoulder.

Tony took a shuddering breath and allowed the cracks in his mental armour to show. Just for a moment. He curled gently into Rhodey's side, mindful of the braces. He wrapped his arms around Rhodey, above the break in his spine. He knew Rhodey preferred to be touched where he still had full sensation. Rhodey settled his chin on top of Tony's head.

"It just... It all feels closer tonight is all... I think it's really settling in that this wasn't some horrible fucking nightmare," Tony murmured.

"Oh how I wish it was," Rhodey agreed. And fuck if that wasn't exactly what Tony needed to hear. Someone else voicing that they all would be better off if none of this had happened. "But when I get discouraged, I think about Afghanistan a lot." Tony stilled in Rhodey's arms.

"Specifically I think about seeing you fall to your knees on the sand, and how you collapsed against me. I don't even know if my own mother has ever been that happy to see me... Maybe not since I was born... I think about how relieved you looked, how grateful to still be alive you were, even with the torture you endured and the arc reactor causing you pain every breath... And I know part of it was my presence that brought that look to your face. Simply by being there. So, while we would be better off if none of this had happened, I wouldn't have what I have with you... So when the air gets thick, I focus on that, and it helps," Rhodey said. "I'm glad I'm still alive, Tony. Never doubt that. Even on my bad days, I want to be here."

"Love ya, Rhodey," Tony mumbled. "You're the one safe place I have left, I swear."

"Love you too, Tones," Rhodey replied. "And I'm not going anywhere... Literally depending on my wardrobe," Rhodey said, and knocked on the brace nearest to Tony. Tony moved his head so he could roll his eyes at Rhodey properly.

"Question," Tony said. It was his universal sign for changing mental gears when his emotions got to be too much.

"What's up, buttercup?" Rhodey asked.

"How do you feel about a spinal implant that would reconnect your nerves? I would have to talk to Helen Cho about it, but I want to try if you're willing," Tony said. His eyes were damp, but his face was hopeful.

"Can it at least wait until morning?" Rhodey asked.

"I suppose," Tony said, and whined dramatically.

"Good, now help me out of these braces. I am not crossing that hall again tonight," Rhodey said. Tony grinned, and got a move on to help Rhodey lay out on his bed. He always slept better beside someone, and Rhodey knew that well. Even going back to their days at M.I.T. and all the times Tony crawled in next to Rhodey, a homesick, scared kid, just looking for a safe place to rest.

They had their routine down and quickly they were settled in for what remained of the night. Tony sighed happily, finally calmed by the feel of Rhodey's steady heartbeat close to his own. "Goodnight, sour patch," Tony mumbled again.

"Goodnight Mr. Stank," Rhodey replied. Tony, so help him, giggled.

"Marry me," he said into Rhodey's shoulder.

"We aren't already?" Rhodey asked.

"I suppose we are," Tony agreed and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He held Rhodey more tightly for a moment, then settled again, and closed his eyes.

-End

**Author's Note:**

> UGH the FEELS. I had to keep it together while watching the movie because I was there with a nephew... But man... That was hard to watch.


End file.
